Wildcats hold off Wolverines, 77-67, in Classic-opener

The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity basketball team held off a late comeback attempt from the Springlake-Earth Wolverines’, 77-67, to move into the winner’s bracket at the 31st annual Wildcat Classic on Tuesday.

Chip Green hit Elijah Salazar with an outlet pass for a lay-up to open the contest ans Salazar picked up a steal on the next play, getting it ahead to Jeremiah Trevino for a lay-up, stretching their lead to, 4-0. Ryan Williams hit Omar Martinez with a no-look pass for a lay-up, pushing their lead to, 6-0, as Springlake-Earth took a time out with 6:01 remaining in the opening quarter.

Out of the break, Trevino hit a cutting Ryan Williams for a layup, but Alex Alvarez ended the scoring drought with a lay-up for the Wolverines to trim the lead to, 8-2. Salazar answered with a three from the right elbow, but the Wolverines responded, as Alvarez dropped in a lay-up on the left side to cut the lead to, 11-4, with 4:30 to play in the first quarter.

JJ Jaramillo pulled up for a three from the right elbow, but Trevino responded with a layup to make the score, 13- 7. Jaramillo came right back with another three from the left elbow to cut the lead to, 13-10, but on the other end, Q Busby hit Zeke Saenz with a no-look pass for a lay-up to make it a five-point Littlefield lead, 15-10.

Isaiah Tovar drained a three from the right elbow for Springlake-Earth and Jaramillo followed it up with a lay-up, drawing an and- one foul on Ja’Den Williams. The free throw was no good, leaving the score tied, 15-15. Busby drew a block on Kaleb Castillo and converted both free throws and Ja’Den Williams hit a three from the left wing at the buzzer to put the Wildcats in front, 20-15, to end the first quarter.

Jaramillo opened the second frame with a runner from the right side and Alvarez took a charge on Martinez to regain possession for the Wolverines. Tovar buried a three from the top of the key to tie the game, 20-20, but it was short-lived, as Green sank a three from the left wing, off of the assist from Salazar. Martinez took a charge on Castillo and Green dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Salazar to push their lead back out to five points, 25-20.

Micah Sanchez dropped in a lay-up, drawing and-one foul on the play; he converted the free throw to make it a one-possession game, but Green answered with a three from the left wing, off of an assist from Trevino and Trevino followed it up with a lay-up, as the Wildcats took a time out with 5:05 to play in the first half, leading, 30-23.

Out of the break, Green dropped in a floater in the lane, but Jaramillo answered with a drive and dump to Castillo, who finished the play with a lay-up, making the score, 32-25, with 3:40 to play in the half. Salazar pulled up for a jumper from the right elbow, but Froylan Agundiz answered with a three from the right wing, trimming the lead to, 34-28.

Busby dropped in a lay- up and followed it up with a lay-up in transition to stretch their lead to, 38-28, with two minutes to play in the half. MJ Randle passed to Ja’Den Williams, who sent it across the lane to Saenz for a lay-up, stretching the lead to, 40-28, as Springlake-Earth took a time out with 1:23 to play in the half.

Out of the break, a hustle play by Randle led to a fast-break lay-up for Ja’Den Williams, pushing their lead to, 42-28. With under one minute to play in the half, Tovar buried a three from the left elbow to cut the lead to, 42-31. Saenz was fouled on an attempt by Castillo and split the free throws with 25.5 seconds remaining in the half, but in the closing seconds, Alvarez banked in a floater off of the assist from Isaiah to cut the lead to 10 points, 43-33, going into the locker room at halftime.

Salazar and Green opened the second half with back-to-back lay- ups, but Tovar answered with a three from the right wing, off of the assist from Alvarez, making the score, 47-36. Trevino took a charge on Tovar, but after regaining possession, Alvarez dropped in a floater in the lane to cut the lead to singledigits, 47-38. Busby dropped in a reverse lay-up off of the assist from Martinez and then hit Martinez with an outlet pass for a lay- up on the next play to stretch their lead to, 51-38.

Busby kept the run going with a lay- up off of a steal and Martinez dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Busby to extend their lead to, 55-38. With 2:01 remaining in the third, Randle hit Martinez with an outlet pass on the fast-break for a lay-up, as Springlake-Earth took a time out with two minutes remaining in the third. Out of the break, Jaramillo drew a blocking foul on a shot attempt and sank both free throws to end the scoring drought for the Wolverines.

With just over one minute to play in the third, Ja’Den Williams dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Tovar. He converted the free throw to push their lead to, 20 points, 60-40. Jaramillo scored a lay-up off of an assist from Alvarez and followed it up with a fast-break layup off of a steal to cut the lead to, 60-44, before Randle buried a three from the left elbow for the Wildcats to close out the third quarter with Littlefield in front, 63-44.

Castillo used a spin move to get to the basket for a lay-up in transition to open the fourth quarter and Green dropped in a lay- up off of an assist from Salazar to make the score, 65-46. Ryan Williams drove to the basket for a lay-up, but Jaramillo answered with a drive for a layup to trim the lead to, 67-48, as Littlefield took a time out to talk things over with 5;41 remaining in the game.

Out of the break, Alvarez was fouled on a three-point attempt by Salazar. He converted all three shots at the line to trim the lead to, 67-51. with under five minutes to play in the game, Ryan Williams dropped in a lay-up, but Jaramillo answered with a three from the left elbow, off of the assist from Sanchez, cutting the lead to, 69-54.

Salazar dropped in a lay-up for the Wildcats, but Castillo knocked down a short jumper on the other end, making the score, 71-56. Martinez drove to the basket for a lay-up, but on the other end, Tovar answered with a deep three from the right elbow, cutting the lead to, 73-59, with just under three minutes remaining. Trevino dropped in back- toback lay-ups for the Wildcats, but Alvarez answered with a layup through contact, off of the assist from Jaramillo and Tovar and Jaramillo followed it up with back-to-back threes to close out the game, as the Wildcats prevailed, 77-67. Jaramillo led the Wolverines in scoring with 26 points, while Tovar chipped in 18 points and Alvarez netted 13 points. Castillo chipped in four points, while Sanchez and Agundiz finished with three points each.

For the Wildcats, Green led the team with 14 points, while Salazar tallied 11 points and Martinez and Busby each finished with 10 points. Trevino and Ja’Den Williams each finished with eight points, while Ryan Williams tallied six points and Randle and Saenz each finished with five points.